TENSE

QUEST/AFF/NEG EXAMPLES

USE

KEY WORDS

PRESENT
SIMPLE
Presente de indicativo

I LIVE IN IBIZA. I WORK AS A

TOUR GUIDE. I LIKE MUSIC

Talking about your life in

general/permanent situations: personal
information/jobs/routines/frequency/
hobbies/likes/dislikes/descriptions of
situations in general/scientific facts

Always, every..., never, normally, often,

seldom, sometimes, usually, if
sentences type I (if I arrive late,..)

PR. CONTINUOUS
Presente forma
perifrstica....

AT THE MOMENT, I'M LIVING IN

IBIZA AND WORKING AS A TOUR
GUIDE......

Descriptions of situations
At the moment, just/right (now)
/people/things/happening at the moment For future arrangements: I'm meeting
of speaking-f.ex. Clothes. Temporary
Sam tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock.
and progressive situations.....

PAST SIMPLE
Pretrico perfecto simple
Pretrito indefinido

I LIVED IN IBIZA IN 1999.

Finished past actions/ Descriptions of

past situations and narratives: stories,
tales, dreams, film plots, descriptions of
finished past situations.

PAST CONTINUOUS
Anteriores en forma
perifrstica

I WAS LIVING IN IBIZA WHEN MY Descriptions of situations happening at When, while

FIRST CHILD WAS BORN.
a moment in the past, combined with
other tenses in narratives.(actions
taking place at the same time or action
interrupted by another action)

PRESENT PERFECT
Pretrico perfecto
compuesto.

I'VE JUST SEEN PETER IN THE

STREET.

PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
forma perifrstica

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ALL DAY! Emphasis on the duration of an action.

all night, day,week, how long?

PAST PERFECT
Pretrito pluscuamperfecto
Pretrico anterior
PAST PERF CONTIN

HE ARRIVED LATE AND HIS

FRIENDS HAD ALREADY LEFT.

Already, just, never, not yet, once, until that

day, if sentences type III (if I had seen,....)

WE HAD BEEN WORKING ALL DAY

Connection past/present, emphasis on

the result, action that stopped recently

Past of a past situation,action taking place

before a certain time in the past.
A progressive action in the past before a
past action

Yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1964, the

other day, last Friday, If sentence type
II (If I saw,....) Use used to for past
routines

Already, ever, just, never, not yet, so

far, till now, up to now, recently/
lately,for a year, since I was born...

for, since, the whole day, all day....

forma perifrstica

SO WE WERE TOO TIRED TO GO OUT

WITH FRIENDS.

FUTURE SIMPLE

THE ECONIC CRISIS WILL END SOON. Will for predictions in general (based

on opinions) and assumption/ Going to

for predictions (based on evidence),
plans and intentions before the moment
of speaking
MODAL
VERBS/VERBOS
MODALES: SHOULD,
MAY, MIGHT, COULD,
MUST
CAN

THEY CAN PLAY THE

SAXOPHONE BUT I CAN'T

Express possibility and deduction,

ability, advise, obligation...

FIRST CONDITIONAL

If it rains, we won't go to the theatre

Possible situations

SECOND
CONDITIONAL

If it rained more in Ibiza, I would plant When you are imagining situations
vegetables in my garden.
which are not really possible
Wishes

PASSIVE (ALL
TENSES) PASSIVA EN
TODOS LOS TIEMPOS

The toy is made in China

(verbo to be+ participio)

When the doer (subject) isn't important Very common in English, i.e. news

REPORTED SPEECH

Estilo indirecto
She said her friend wasn't at home

Report what another person has said

CONDICIONALES
If +present, future simple
If+ simple past, would + verb

Changes:tense, pronouns, adverbs,

reporting verbs:(She refused to pay.....)